I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again! We live in this fantastic wonderful country that allows people of different cultures to come together and celebrate each other and their special days. This weekend it’s St. Patrick’s Day – I for one, celebrate my Irish whisky – I mean roots, for 24 hours, and we will see Irish of all nationalities celebrating this day with green beer and/or Irish whisky. So, that said, this is my recipe to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, a fusion of sorts. I’ve done a lot of traditional Irish dishes in the blog – corned beef, soda bread etc. and now I’m adding Matcha, Coconut and Almond Cake to the list. And yes, it did give my cake a tinge of green.
So what is matcha? Matcha is finely ground tea leaves. With regular tea, you are drinking the extract from tea leaves, but with matcha, you are actually drinking the finely ground tea leaves. As soon as you open up a package of matcha, you get this deep rich tea aroma that well… smells clean. Matcha also has health benefits; it is rich in antioxidants which have been tied to protection against heart disease and cancer, as well as better blood sugar regulation, blood pressure reduction, and anti-aging. So says the www.health.com site. Read more as it is a good read with links to other healthful resources.
I know I’m late hopping on the matcha wagon, but it was really only a couple of years ago that I embraced the “pumpkin spice latte” craze. I just don’t believe in following “the latest” unless it lasts! This recipe uses only 1 tablespoon of matcha to 1 cup of flour and results in a milder flavored treat. I added almond extract for additional flavor and used coconut oil instead of butter. You could use butter or vegetable oil, same quantities. This recipe makes one 9×5 inch loaf or three 3×6 inch loaf tins (what, you don’t have these :))
This was my first attempt using matcha, it most certainly won’t be my last – in baking or cooking. So watch for additional recipes on this site. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all – Please be safe out there! To all the days here and after, may they be filled with good food, joy and laughter! As always – enjoy!
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon matcha green tea powder – sifted (it has much the same consistency as cocoa)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup coconut oil – if solid, melt in the microwave for 10 seconds or so
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp citrus sugar (see previous blog)
Preheat oven to 325f
Spray the loaf tin and line with parchment leaving an overhang on either end
Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the coconut oil and sugar – it won’t turn creamy like butter and sugar, but will combine
Beat the eggs with the milk and almond extract until combined – add to the sugar/oil mixture
In a separate bowl mix the flour, matcha powder, baking powder, and salt
Add flour mixture to egg mixture and blend until smooth
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, sprinkle the top with the citrus sugar and bake for 45-50 minutes and a toothpick comes out clean or if using the smaller tins, 25 – 30 minutes – remember always check at the minimum times – ovens vary
